Spontaneous remission in acute myelogenous leukemia in the adult

A spontaneous complete remission of 17 months duration was observed in a patient with acute myelogenous leukemia. Resolution of all clinical and morphologic abnormalities occurred. The remission was apparently associated with an acute pulmonary infection. At relapse, remission induction was accomplished with cystosine arabinoside and daunorubicin therapy. In vitro granulocyte-macrophage agar culture studies (CFU-c) showed an abnormal growth pattern at presentation, which persisted during the period of spontaneous remission. Reports of spontaneous remissions of acute myelogenous leukemia in adults have become increasingly rare, and the remissions themselves are short-lived. Despite the association between spontaneous remissions and acute infections or febrile episodes, attempts at remission induction with infectious agents have been unsuccessful. Spontaneous remissions are an uncommon variant of the natural course of acute myelogenous leukemia in the adult.